Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, located about 90km west of Calgary, is easily accessible from Highway 40 in Kananaskis. This Provincial Park is incredibly popular in all seasons, for hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and even some backcountry skiing. We opted for some snowshoeing, and when deciding on a trail, there were hundreds to choose from! We ultimately chose two different trails (Which could be combined into one if you are eager enough) for their proximity to one another.
Blackshale Suspension Bridge
The official trailhead to visit the popular Blackshale Suspension Bridge begins from the parking lot of the Black Prince Day Use Area. After parking, you must cross the highway to find the start of the High Rockies Trail. From here, the trail to the bridge and back is approximately 6km.
We decided to cut this particular loop slightly shorter in order to add another snowshoeing adventure on afterward. We parked on the side of the highway (at our own risk as there is no parking lot for this short-cut loop) and accessed the short-cut route from Blackshale creek. From here, we were able to hop onto the High Rockies Trail, which took us straight to the suspension bridge. During the winter, snow traction is highly recommended for your shoes. Whether you choose cleats, spikes or snowshoes, you will thank yourself during the steep inclines and descents.
The suspension bridge did not disappoint! The bridge is framed by snowcapped mountain peaks and dense forests. You really are in a winter wonderland! We were so excited to be out there, that we continued along the High Rockies Trail, winding in-between beautiful snow covered trees, for about 5km. I particularly enjoyed running through the untouched snow and trying to identify the different animal tracks we saw. We turned around at this point to jump back onto the original 1km short-cut route to head back to the car.
Black Prince Cirque Trail
Once back at the car, we decided to drive about 10 minutes down the highway to the Black Prince Day Use Area. We accessed the Black Prince Cirque trail from here, a 4.5km moderate loop to Warspite Lake. This trail is popular during the winter for back country skiing, snowshoeing and winter hiking.
The ascent is uphill for the majority of the way, which definitely keeps you warm! But we were quickly distracted from our heavy breathing by the mountain views. Since we had already completed one snowshoeing adventure, we began this loop slightly later than we would have liked. Though we did get the majority of the trail to ourselves, we had to set a quick pace to the top to ensure we didn’t lose any daylight. (Turned out we had plenty).
At the beginning of the trail, we crossed a bridge over the frozen Smith-Dorrien Creek. We stopped for a moment to take in how stunning it was!
After about 2km of uphill walking we reached the top. We were all in awe of the spectacular field of snow covered boulders, that looked like sleeping giants, and the surrounding frozen lake. Such a beautiful place to stop for some photos and a water break.
During the summer months, there is the ability to continue on to Black Prince Lake, or loop around Warspite Lake and follow the Black Prince loop back to the parking lot. However, there is a high avalanche risk in the winter if you are to continue on to Black Prince Lake. And with the snow covered trail, we were unable to find the loop from Warspite Lake back to the parking lot. So, we walked back the way we came, and watched the sky turn to stunning shades of orange and pink.
We ended our day with hot chocolate and Bailey’s at the car and drove back to Calgary. An incredibly successful day spent in the mountains!
